What's Up Mummy?

(Blog post title is one of my daughter's favorite telephone greetings when we chat.)

This cute little mummy cake was inspired by a cookie or cake decoration in the background of a Wilton book a few years ago. He's only about 10" tall. Well, 11" with his bandages on. I liked the way he turned out except for the thickness of his gauze. Being fairly new to fondant and cake decorating at the time, I hadn't learned enough or experimented enough to work with thinner bands with any confidence. So although I'd make him a bit differently today, he still passes the cuteness factor test for design.

I used a gingerbread man type shape for his body, added his black face and eyes and then covered him with bandages. He was pretty heavy after all that fondant! Yet still a light weight in the scary division. If you're looking for a more friendly skeleton this Halloween, you may want to give him a try.

Happy Haunting!

Chocolate Candy Acorns

Fall is upon us. Just ask my blistered hands after 3 hours of raking leaves this morning. And scooping fallen acorns from the ponds. Where were my gloves?

Since our "yard" is mostly oak trees, the acorns are EVERYWHERE right now. Here's a shot of some of them ripening before they took the leap.

These cute little guys inspired me to try a sweeter version.

This is the first attempt. Took just a couple of minutes to see if it would work and then I made these for you.

They are super easy and fast to make. And did I mention yummy? I thought they looked pretty nice and could add a sophisticated element to any fall gathering. I plan to use them on a fall inspired cake. We'll see how that goes . . . 

(UPDATE: you can see the cake I used them on here.)

They would also look adorable as a cupcake or brownie topper. Or how about or dressing up a simple fall dessert serving by placing one or two on that plate? Can't wait to see where your imagination takes you!

So, have you figured out what they are made with yet?

Harvest Peanut m&ms

and Tootsie Rolls.

Told you it was easy. And fast.

Here's how:

Chocolate Candy Acorns
Deborah Stauch
www.Once-Upon-A-Pedestal.blogspot.com

Makes about 75.

Note: The m&ms can be substituted with chocolate covered almonds although they are a bit more costly than the candies.

If you're not a Tootsie Roll fan, try caramels or pre-made caramel apple sheets as an alternate.

For fun brightly colored acorns, use regular colors of peanut m&ms and Starburst candies.

Ingredients
One 12.60 ounce package Harvest Blend Peanut m&ms
One 3.73 ounce package Tootsie Roll Midgees (about 17 per King Size pkg, only 13 needed)

Equipment
Paring knife with sharp pointed end

Directions

Wash and dry hands thoroughly. Do I need to say that? Just a friendly reminder since this is a hands on project.

Separate m&ms and set aside and yellow and red candies for snacking. You should have about 75 rust and brown candies remaining.

Unwrap 12 of the Tootsie Rolls.

1.  Cut the Tootsie Rolls into 6 equal segments by slicing the log in half and cutting each half into thirds.

2.  Not really shown in the photo but . . . using the warmth of your hands, roll each segment into a ball.

3.  Flatten each ball into a disk about 3/4" in diameter. Adjust the size if needed for any smaller m&ms. A smooth surface like a tile or granite countertop is great for this. Waxed paper can also be used as a non-stick surface. Use the paring knife to score criss-cross lines across the top of each disk, about 8-10 lines in each direction. Use the flat blade of the paring knife to loosen and release the disk if needed.

4 - 5.  Unwrap one Tootsie Roll and slice in half. You can eat the other half if you're hungry about now. Roll the cut half into a long, narrow rope about 1/8" - 1/4" in diameter. Slice the rope into tiny segments. The segments should be no larger than 1/4" since it just takes a tiny amount to form the stems.

6.  Look for the fatter end of the m&m. This will be the top or cap end.

7.  Attach the scored disks to the tops of the m&ms. The stickiness of the candy will act as the glue but if you're having trouble, use a tiny piece of Tootsie Roll as adhesive. Center the disk over the top of the m&m and use your fingertips to gently form the cap to the candy. Try not to press or rub so much as to remove the criss-cross pattern.

8.  Pierce a small hole in the top of the cap with the sharp end of the paring knife, puncturing the Tootsie Roll, not the m&m. Roll one of the tiny segments into a stem shape in the palm of your hand. Place one end of the stem inside the hole and press very gently. The stem will adhere best when the hole is freshly cut and the stem is still slightly tacky and warm from being formed.

9. Repeat 74 times or until you have enough acorns for whatever project you want to use them for.

 Enjoy your tiny treasures and the splendor of Fall!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

It's that time of year again . . .

Pumpkin spiced something everywhere you look.

Although it's still not sweater season here,

just seeing the Starbucks signs that pumpkin

is once again on the menu makes my taste

buds perk up and gives me great comfort.

These are a mess. I know you can do WAY better at decorating, especially on the cream topping.

These are some very moist, very delicious and

VERY dangerous cupcakes to have around.

Well for me anyway.

Do your confections ever whisper

(or shout "hey! you! over here!")

to you as you're passing by,

just minding your own business?

This recipe was adapted from Annie's eats

who adapted it from Williams Sonoma.

So it's made the rounds and has been

taste tested by the some of the best.

I just wanted to simplify it a bit

and use what worked best for me.

The flavors and spices have been bumped

up and I switched out the whipped cream

for a more stable option and added some

spices to that part as well.

Who wants to bite into an almost great cupcake?

Stablized whipped cream would also work or

even a light buttercream.

And you can go all fancy and use vanilla beans

and real whipping cream if you prefer.

I'm sure they are wonderful.

Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough

to truly appreciate them.

The original recipe for Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

is included below however, as a time saver,

I substituted Brach's caramels which I melted and

thinned with a little bit of caramel ice cream topping.

Simmer gently until desired thickness is achieved.

Unfortunately when I made these, I neglected to note

just how many caramels or how much sauce I used.

So you be the judge in your kitchen.

You may want to start with about 1 1/2 cups of

caramels since that is the yield for the caramel sauce recipe.

If you can't find the vanilla powder in your area, substitute with good 

quality vanilla extract and increase the baking time by a couple of minutes.

I also piped a ring of canned caramel frosting

(gasp!) to help contain the whipped topping.

A true sin for all of you "from scratch" bakers, I know.

Leave it out or do as I did or use your favorite

recipe for caramel buttercream if you'd like.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes  

Yield: about 2 dozen cupcakes


Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


4 T instant coffee

3 T vanilla powder (CK brand) or vanilla extract

2 t baking soda


2 t baking powder


2 t ground cinnamon


1/4 t grated nutmeg


1/4 t ground cloves



1 t salt


1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree


1 cup sugar


1 cup brown sugar


1 cup canola or vegetable oil


4 extra large eggs


½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

Whipped topping:


2¼ cups non-dairy Frostin’ Pride

3 T confectioners’ sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

Garnish:


Ground cinnamon

Caramel sauce (store bought caramels thinned with caramel ice cream topping)

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce 

Yield: 1½  cups

1 cup sugar

1¼ cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

¼ tsp. coarse salt

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Spread the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Place over medium-low heat, watching carefully.  When the sugar begins to liquefy around the edges, use a heatproof spatula to gently stir it towards the center.  Continue stirring very gently until all the sugar is melted, taking care not to over stir.  Measure out the heavy cream in a liquid measuring cup and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream.  Set aside.  Once the caramel reaches a deep amber color, immediately remove the sauce pan from the heat.  (To test the color, spoon a drop onto a white plate or bowl.)  Carefully whisk in half of the heavy cream along with the vanilla bean seeds.  The mixture will steam and bubble violently.  Stir until the cream is well incorporated, then whisk in the remaining cream.  Stir in the salt and the vanilla.  If any sugar has hardened, place the saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth.  

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  If needed, it can be rewarmed in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.

Directions:


To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line cupcake pans with foil liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, instant coffee, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full.  Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans.  While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating.  Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the Frostin' Pride in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar and spiced gradually.  Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes.

Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and drizzle with caramel sauce.  *Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

*Add the caramel drizzle just before serving or it might get runny looking

like this rather than the beautiful golden strands they started out as.

Why do I always try to do so many things at once and

not leave enough time for the photography?

ARGHHH!!!

For even more fun, top with mini pumpkin pie slices made from caramels & fondant.

See another version of the pie topper and a tutorial

at The Frosted Cake 'n Cookie.

And be sure to check out her other cute toppers while you're there.The mini cake is adorable! 

Oh, and she piles on the whipped cream topping for her cupcake much better than my lame attempt.

So make yours look more like hers. Okay?

Happy Fall Caking!